I was reading article the other day about the 10 best food for you that you may or may not be eating. The article was very interesting and informative and I would direct anyone who is looking for health foods that may specifically lower cholesterol, blood pressure and may fight cancer. Upon a quick search many articles on the same theme can up and I’ve tried to summarize the top 4 best foods are as follows:

1) Beets

What are they?: Think of them as red spinach. These grubby looking roots are naturally sweeter than any other vegetable packing in lots of flavour.

Why are they good?: Beets are a rich source of folate and betaine as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters. The folate and betaine can act as an anti-inflammatory compound helping decrease your risk of heart disease. Beetroot juice has been also shown to lower blood pressure.

How should I eat them?: Beets are best eaten fresh and raw and are nice grated into a salad. Heating can decrease the antioxidant power quiet quickly so take care not to overcook them in any meal.

2) Cabbage

What are they?: They are a leafy garden plant used as a vegetable. They were known to the Romans and Greeks and Cato the Elder was said to praise this vegetable for its medicinal properties.

Why are they good?: Cabbages are loaded with vitamins, nutrients and chemicals said to boost cancer fighting enzymes. Another benefit is that one cupful only has 22 calories which makes it a great diet food.

How should I eat them?: They’re lovely in a ’slaw’ or as a crunchy topping on burgers or in sandwiches. Remember again that cooking cabbage will reduce the vitamin and nutrient content of the cabbage but they are an excellent addition to stews.

3) Guava

What are they?: They’re a fruit found in many tropical and subtropical countries. It’s outer is often bitter to the taste. The inner Guava pulp is normally sweetish and pink.

Why are the good?: They are high in fibre as well as providing high levels of vitamins A and C, omega -3 and -6. They also have good levels of dietary minerals, magnesium and potassium. Extracts from the Guava plant have been implicated in anti cancer mechanisms.

How should I eat them?: Eat the entire fruit. It’s edible and lovely and nutritious.

4) Swiss chard

What are they?: Chard have shiny green ribbed leaves with white to yellow stems. They are slightly bitter to the taste and are from the same family as the beetroot.

Why are the good?: They provide a huge amount of both lutein and zeaxanthin which together protect your retinas from the damage of ageing.

How should I eat them?: Fresh young chard can be used in green salads whilst mature stalks are typically cooked to remove some of the bitter flavour.

If you want to take a deeper look at the full list or more in depth at the top 4 follow the links below:

The Best foods you aren’t eating - NY Times

10 best foods your not eating - Health Food Blogs

The 10 Best Foods You’re Not Eating - MSN Health & Fitness

Wikipedia: Beetroot, Cabbage, Guava Fruit, Chard